2014 Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Race Improvements

Since the 2013 Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon and CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA ½ Marathon, event organizers have studied all of the elements that worked over the first two years in our Nation’s Capital and spent even more time on the pieces of the event that required adjustments and improvements. The following summarizes what every participant can expect in D.C. in 2014.

IMPROVED GEAR CHECK

We are pleased to announce that UPS is taking the lead on the gear check program in 2014. UPS Trucks will be transporting the gear bags from start to finish. In the new finish venue, the gear check location will allow more space for runners to safely and comfortably retrieve their belongings. The UPS trucks are designed perfectly for the effective implementation of gear check. This UPS program has proven successful at over 50 Rock ‘n’ Roll events including San Diego, Nashville, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and several other markets.

FINISH VENUE

The Finish Line and Finish Festival is now located in Lots 6 and 7 at RFK Stadium, which is twice as large as the 2013 venue. This new location provides the space to create a much improved finish venue. There is more space for participants and spectators, and access to the RFK campus is significantly enhanced.

WATER STATION STAFFING

Due to the threat of poor weather conditions in 2013, water stations were not staffed to runners’ or event management’s expectations. We are working hard to recruit more volunteers and hiring local staff to ensure all water stations are operated properly, so every runner will have a great race experience.

ICONIC START LINE

The Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Start Line has been crowned (unofficially) the most iconic and impressive in the entire Rock ‘n’ Roll series. The start area is surrounded by the Washington Monument, the National Mall, the Reflecting Pool, the White House, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History and The Lincoln Memorial – and that is only the first two miles. The sights are only part of the story; the access to the start venue is the true highlight from a logistics perspective.

START LINE TRANSPORTATION

Event organizers have coordinated with WMATA to begin all METRO operations at 5:00 am race morning to accommodate transporting runners to the start line. The METRO system normally begins service at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. To make sure that one METRO station is not overwhelmed by the crowd converging on the start venue, several lines can be used depending on where your journey is beginning.